MLB Player News

Martin will compete for a spot in the rotation in 2021, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The Diamondbacks announced the fellow prospect starter J.B. Bukauskas is moving to the bullpen this season, but the team wants Martin, who didn't pitch in 2020 and threw just 56.2 innings the previous season, to put innings on his arm. The 25-year-old right-hander underwent Tommy John elbow surgery in 2019, then was sidelined by an oblique injury.

White is dealing with soreness and is not ready to throw bullpen sessions yet, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Manager Dave Roberts didn't give any specifics as to the location or severity of White's soreness. White made his big-league debut in 2020, throwing three scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He figures to start the season in the minors, but will likely pitch at the big-league level as bullpen depth throughout the campaign.

Manager Dave Roberts stated that Kelly is not yet ready to throw bullpen sessions due to soreness, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Roberts didn't give any specific details related to the soreness, but instead said that Kelly is "still coming back" and "not quite there yet." Given the timing of the issue, it doesn't appear that there should be any concern for Kelly's status to start the regular season. While Kenley Jansen will start the season locked in the closer role, Kelly should fill high a high-leverage role in the Dodgers' bullpen.

Jansen is expected to serve as the Dodgers' Opening Day closer in 2021, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Jansen struggled during the postseason in 2020 and lost out on some save chances as a result, but manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that he expects the right-hander to begin the season as the team's closer. Jansen converted on 11 of his 13 chances and recorded a 3.33 ERA and 33:9 K:BB over 24.1 innings in 2020. If he struggles to begin the season, Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol could see some save chances for the Dodgers.

Schreiber was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox on Thursday.

Schreiber was designated for assignment by Detroit on Friday, but he'll join the Red Sox to begin spring training. The right-hander made 15 relief appearances for the Tigers in 2020 and put up a 6.32 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 15.2 innings. He should compete for a role as a middle reliever in Boston's bullpen ahead of the 2021 campaign.

Soto has arrived at camp but still has to clear intake protocols before joining his teammates, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Travel issues slightly delayed Soto's arrival, as they have for a handful of other international players. He'll miss a bit more time due to health protocols but should still have time to ramp up for the start of the regular season.

Brasier has yet to arrive at camp but is expected to do so within a few days, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

There will likely be a handful of players around the league who are delayed due to intake testing, though it's not clear that's the reason for Brasier's absence. He's reportedly gone due to "personal reasons" and hasn't been placed on the COVID-19 injured list. It doesn't appear as though his readiness for Opening Day is under serious threat.

Bukauskas will spend this spring as a reliever, though the Diamondbacks aren't closing the door on him as a starter down the line, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.

Bukauskas has been almost exclusively a starter in the minors, but his command issues hint that the bullpen may be his best home. He has great stuff, and he's now on the 40-man roster, so it's not out of the question that he could help the bullpen right away.

Puk put on an impressive showing during his first throwing session of camp Wednesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. "He looked great. I think surgery really did a lot for him," manager Bob Melvin said. "There were times last year that you'd watch him and you could tell he was kind of feeling a little something and guarding his shoulder. That was not the case today at all. The ball had a lot of life, and he looked really good."

The glowing report from Melvin is obviously music to the ears of many holding Puk in keeper and dynasty formats, a practice that's often proven frustrating over the last couple of seasons due to the left-hander's assortment of injuries. Puk was slated for a rotation spot last season before shoulder issues derailed those plans, but the Athletics are planning to build him up as a starter in spring training with an eye on deploying him in some sort of multi-inning capacity to open the season. Whether that immediately equates to a rotation spot remains to be seen, however, as there is also the option of having Puk initially operate in a long-relief role that he performed well in during his first taste of big-league action in 2019. "We're still kind of figuring out what we're going to do with A.J.," Melvin said. "Whether or not we use him out of the bullpen or in a starting role, we're not sure yet. But you can't have enough depth as far as the starters go, and if someone like A.J. isn't ready to start, then he's a good fit for the bullpen."

Diekman, who was previously projected to serve as the Athletics' primary closer to open the season, is now likely to remain in the set-up role he frequently filled in 2020 with Trevor Rosenthal agreeing to terms with the Athletics on Thursday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Rosenthal is unsurprisingly now expected to get the majority of save opportunities after agreeing to a one-year, $11 million pact with Oakland, following a dominant 2020 with the Royals and Padres during which he recorded 11 saves in 12 chances and generated a 1.90 ERA and 0.85 WHIP. Rosenthal also has a pair of 40-plus save seasons on his resume, while Diekman, highly impressive in his own right a year ago, has largely made his living at the big-league level as a solid seventh- and eighth-inning option. Gallegos notes the left-handed sidearmer's elite velocity could still earn him some ninth-inning chances when Rosenthal is unavailable or a particular matchup calls for it, but for the moment, it appears Diekman will revert to having optimal value in fantasy formats that factor in holds.